LTTE’s finance wing head killed in fighting, say officials

Colombo, March 12 (IANS) The Tamil Tiger rebels’ finance wing head Subarathnam Selvatureiy has been killed in Sri Lanka’s northeastern Mullaitivu district where the government troops and the rebels were locked in heavy fighting, the defence ministry said Wednesday. The ministry said Selvatureiy, alias Thamilendi, was killed in fighting east of Puthukkudiyiruppu in Mullaitivu district Tuesday.

“Thamilendi was a high profile LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) leader and handled the group’s bank accounts, tax collection and other matters related to finance,” it said.

The military said it was in the final phase of recapturing the LTTE’s last stronghold, about 40 sq km in Mullaitivu district.

The ministry in a separate report said Wednesday that the troops retrieved aircraft parts belonging to the LTTE in search operations in former rebel held areas.

It said the troops “uncovered a stock of aircraft spare parts, including aircraft tyres, batteries, engine parts and several other accessories, kept buried by Tigers in oil barrels in northern Puthukkudiyiruppu”.